Accommodation summary

Description

This house has just been listed, which is why it is currently so inexpensive - prices will go up soon. Note the the exact location is right on the edge of the creek at about 3 O'Clock.

I spent 9 months building ‘Ruby Hall’ and designed the house with my best friend, who’s an architect from the UK. We put our hearts into the project and the finished house is the culmination of a lifelong dream of building a tropical, sustainable, paradisiacal retreat in this magical part of the world to return to year after year.

The house was completed in July 2011 and overlooks the waters of Mida Creek – a huge mangrove-fronted lagoon where you can swim, watch local fisherfolk, take dugout canoe trips (the house has its own), watch ospreys, flamingos, hawks and other wildlife, or just listen to the sounds of the local people who have been living in the same way for thousands of years. There's nowhere like it on Earth.

The house is set in a 5.2 acre fenced plot, nestling among local villages and palms, and appears as if it is in the bush (that’s a good thing!), although it is only a 5-minute drive from half-a-dozen good restaurants and bars in Watamu, a 25-minute drive from Malindi airport and a 2-hour drive from bustling Mombasa.

The staff members, who look after the house, are Joseph – an excellent cook who has been preparing food for visitors for more than 30 years, and Morris, the cleaner, caretaker and gardener.

I've taken pains to try to reduce the impact on the local environment. That doesn't mean it's not effortlessly luxurious – it is, but I am not a fan of air-conditioning and swimming pools.

The house consists of a large open building, which contains two secure bedrooms - the upstairs room (bedroom 3) has 2 double beds and room to sleep 4, and the downstairs room (bedroom 4) can be used either as a chill-out room or a bedroom with 2 double beds. In the remainder of this bit of the house there is a huge amount of space in which to chill and relax with fitted sofas, in addition to a kitchen, storeroom and toilet / shower.

Right next to the main building there is a 10-meter high tower building that consists of an open chill-out area downstairs and two bedrooms (bedroom 1 & 2 - both king-sized double beds and ensuite bathrooms) with amazing views the higher you go, and a flat roof, with a panoramic view over the whole creek, and is suitable for sunbathing or yoga.

The beach is a 5-minute drive away and you can swim at medium / high tide right in front of the house.

Watamu is famous for its 7-kilometer long white sand beach and turquoise ocean that caters for world-class kitesurfing, diving, fishing, sailing, kayaking, waterskiing and more. In the town there are many excellent restaurants and bars, and even more in nearby Malindi.

Other local adventures include the Gede ruins, the Arabuko-Sokoke forest, cycling, Tsavo national park (2-hour drive), bird walks and much more.

Cancellation Policy:
Strict

You will be refunded half of the total price minus the cancellation fee if you cancel the booking at least 7 days before check-in by 12 noon CET (Central European Time) For cancellations that are made less than 7 days before check-in, you will be refunded 5% of the total price minus the cancellation fee.